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Client Testimonials

"Peter did an incredible job on our latest renovation. We are so excited about how he opened up our kitchen/dining room area! Its exactly what we wanted. His quote for price and time of completion was spot on. We will definitely call Peter for future projects and highly recommend him to any one looking to update their home."-Ryan & Daniela, Nashville

"We couldn't be happier with the work Peter has done for us! We had delayed a home improvement project because some past experiences with people we hired left us feeling anxious, and we just didn't want the hassle. However, Peter really put us at ease right from the start! Not only is he creative and skilled at his craft, but he is also extremely professional, courteous and trustworthy. He always took the time to answer our questions and really paid attention to the details that were important to us. We will definitely call Peter again, and we would recommend him to anyone." -Kassie & Andy, Mt. Juliet

"Peter recently converted my attached garage to a beautiful new office space. I was recovering from a major car accident and really didn't have the ability to oversee the work. Peter completely took charge, coordinating and ensuring quality of his own work and that of subcontractors. He even selected all the fixtures, doors, and windows completely to my taste since I couldn't shop. He worked creatively and efficiently and was on time and budget. Peter has a great attitude and is very communicative in person and on his blog. Living in a 1930's home by myself, it gives me great comfort to know I can call Peter, whose skills and character I can trust."- Aynsley, East Nashville

“Recently, Peter put in a new tile floor in our kitchen and dining room. I couldn’t be more pleased with his workmanship. The floors look great and the work is as professional as any I’ve seen. My wife and I are so pleased with his work ethic that we’ve asked him to take on some other projects for us. He definitely gets a thumbs-up from me.”-Gary Phillips, Nashville

"Peter does excellent work and I would hire him again without reservation. His assessment and quote of the project was accurate and competitive. The job was started and completed on time. While he was working, he was always very professional and neat. The finished product exceeded our expectations. All in all, it was a great experience and I would recommend him to anyone.”-Justin, Inglewood

Monday, April 27, 2009

Whenever I'm renovating a bath, I recommend installing a bathroom exhaust fan if there isn't one already. It's a fairly simple installation, depending on where you can vent the fan to.

The fan itself will range from $12, for the most basic unit, up to $160 or so for one that's quiet with a light. In addition to the fan, you'll need a venting kit to actually get the humid air outside. The roof venting kit is around $20 and the wall venting kit is closer to $15.

For the Inglewood bathroom I've been working on, the roof above was a very flat rubber roof. It was in great condition and I wanted to avoid punching any holes in it that might develop into a leak later. For this reason, we decided to mount the fan on the outside wall. This proved to be much easier. Here's the process:

1. Decide where you want the vent (roof or wall), and cut the hole. (Always think this through first!) Usually a jig saw or reciprocal saw will do the trick, depending how much access you have to the space. The fan kit includes a template so you can make sure the hole is the right size.

2. Next, trim the sheet metal that will be the tube that will attach to the flexible duct and the outside vent. For my installation, I only needed a few inches. This is similar to a dryer vent installation.

3. The sheet metal tube will 'snap' onto the exterior vent. With this in place you can slide it through the hole from the outside and the screw the vent to the exterior wall. It's a good idea to caulk around this with some silicone caulk to avoid any water entry at this point.

4. Attach the flexible duct to the vent with the plastic cinch clamps that are included in the kit. These will make sure the flexible duct is tight.

5. Depending on how accessible it is, you can hang the fan first, but I did it after the vent was installed so I could get to everything. Make sure to hang the box so that it will end up flush with the drywall. They usually have fold over tabs that are the right depth for 1/2" drywall. The fan itself will come out of the box, giving you access to the wiring panel. After making the electrical connections you can put the fan back in place.

6. That's it! After drywalling and paint you can put the fan cover in place and try it out!